Planning a stay at CHAMBAL SAFARI LODGE in Agra, Uttar Pradesh? You're in the right place.

Jarar has been the main seat of the family since 1472. The Mela Kothi and its stables were built in the late 1890s by Rai Saheb Ch. Suraj Pal Singh, the Zamindar Saheb (feudal chief) of Jarar, as a small field camp. Nestling in the midst of over 120 acres of woodland and pasture and surrounded by farmland, in 1915 the Mela Kothi was found to be ideally located to serve as a camp office for the family’s bi-annual cattle fair (Mela). 

For over 85 years the male members of the family would descend upon Jarar for a period of 15 days in March for the larger of the cattle fairs. The Mela Kothi served as the residence of head of the family whilst the junior members would each have their Swiss camp set up encircling the Kothi. A motley crew of over 300 people toiled (and partied) to make the event a grand success, including 30 people who worked in shifts to run the fancy German generator that had its own set of rooms. The clockwork precision, guarantee of safety, amenities (including an office responsible for distributing earthen pots and sweets), entertainment, talent shows, shops, and the revenue generated were a source of great pride and prestige for the family. However, by the 1990s the income from the fair had dwindled to the point of being unviable.

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